Throughout the 21st century, coordination has been steadily increasing between local law enforcement agencies and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). This increased cooperation has lead to significant constitutionally concerning operations, including racialized policing practices, extensive violation of immigrants’ rights to due process, lengthy periods of detention, and excessive transfer of immigrant detainees that pose serious human rights concerns. The current legislation in the 190th General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, HR.3052/SD.1596: An Act to protect the civil rights and safety of all Massachusetts residents, also known as the Massachusetts Safe Communities Act, will limit cooperation between local law enforcement agencies and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), ensure due process rights for people detained for civil immigration violations, prohibit local law enforcement officers from inquiring about a person’s immigration status unless required by law, prevent local law enforcement agencies from arresting or detaining a person solely based on immigration status, and limit information sharing between local law enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security.

We, Tufts students, professors, faculty, parents, and community members support the Massachusetts Safe Communities Act and urge the Tufts administration to explicitly and actively support this legislation. We call on Governor Charlie Baker and other state officials to take a bold stance against the actions of the administration of the 45th President of the United States that threaten the safety and well-being of so many in our communities. This petition is the first step in amassing the institutional power of Tufts University and showing our collective support. More lobbying efforts to directly influence the passage of the Safe Communities Act will follow this petition.

The Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate passed a Resolution in Support of the Massachusetts Safe Community Act on February 20th, 2017 with 28 votes in favor, 0 opposed, and 1 abstention. You can view the resolution using the link below to learn more about why this bill is so important.